Backcountry Backpacking

23.90 total miles hiked
8197 total elevation change
4147 up
4050 down

1st day-8/18/14 - Snyder lake via Sperry trailhead
4.40 miles
2047 ft elevation gain
The first day on the trail was a short hike but alot of elevation gain. The view from inside of the basin at snyder lake are absolutely breathtaking, you are surrounded by cliff faces that are 2000th feet high in every direction except where you hiked in at. At the camp I encountered a doe. She was very curious and visted me 2 more times that day. There were only two other hikers that stayed at the campground that night, they were a couple from Maine named will and Caroline. ( awesome people )
That night there was not a cloud in the sky while I watched the sunset over the mountains. The stars were like nothing I have ever witnessed! There was not a dark spot in the sky. Snyder lake was amazing.

2nd day-8/19/14 - Lincoln lake
11.50 miles
1300 up
1800 down
I rose before the sun and was able to watch the shadows of the mountains disapear along the other mountains as it came over the closest peak. I ate my birthday cake(cliffbar)  for breakfast with my two new friends. We said our good byes while we all took in the beauty one last time before left Snyder lake. After hiking down snyder lake trail I went east on Snyder ridge trail where I encountered mosquitos the size of pigeons, and there were hundreds of them. Once I got through with the ridge trail I went north on Lincoln lake trail. For what is probably the most up and down in elevation I have ever encountered on a trail. Once i arrived at Lincoln lake where the largest waterfall in the park is around 3 I was the only hiker there, I had made it just In time to set up my tent and filter my water from the lake and then the skies opened up. It rained until 8 or so just in time for me to watch the sun set around 
10 o'clock the sky cleared up enough for me to see the stars once more in a different lake basin. At 12 that night a storm was coming directly over head where lighting struck 2 miles away. But the thunder is like nothing you have ever heard, it's reverberations bounce off of the basin and make the most beautiful sounds. Each thunder boom lasted for a good 30 to 45 seconds. The combined sound of the thunder, rain,  and waterfall made for a very peaceful sleep.

3rd day-8/20/14 - return to civilization via Lincoln lake trailhead
8.00 miles
800 up
2250 down

When I woke,  the rain was still drizzling I waited for 10 mins or so,  and I was lucky enough that there was a break in the rain. I packed my life's needs back in my pack and hit the trail.
Again like I said this Lincoln lake trail is filled with elevation gains and loses but im not sure if it is just harder going out then coming in or if my legs were that tired. I met the killer mosquitos once again for about a 3 mile stretch
I didn't see any people until I was a half a mile away from the road, so I went a full 24 hrs in G.N.P's  backcountry with out seeing a soul and it was incredible.

I'm back at base( R.V.) now with the memories of the best birthday ever. It was such an honor to be able to witness so many beautiful scenes and people.  I'm truly the richest person right now.

Happy birthday to you too dad.  Love you.

Back country permits

This morning me and my papa got up at 5 to go to the backcountry permit center to get my permits to go backpacking and camp out at the backcountry campgrounds on the 18th and 19th. Even though I got in line at 5:45 i was still 9th in line. ( the office opened at 7)

But I GOT MY PERMITS!

After finishing up at the backcountry office me and my papa went to play a round of golf. ( I played horrible, but it was awesome though.) After that we all went to a town called "Whitefish" and rode up a ski lift, next we went and checked out the hungry horse dam.

AWESOME DAY!

btw any family reading this I'm sure you already know I have absolutely no cell service,( using wifi right now) but i will be backpacking for the next two days so if you do try to message me for my birthday, thank you very much!  I will reply when I get back.

Stranton lake hike

I hiked a small trail up to a mountain lake.  It was probably no more than 4 miles round trip but it had incredible views! Just thought I'd share.

Fly fishing in G.N.P

Today we decided to do a little relaxing so we went fly fishing.(Thank you don for the flies!) We had no luck,  but it was just to get on the rivers edge and listen to the flowing of the stream. The scenery was extremely beautiful as all of
G.N.P is. After that we played tourist and went to a town called "hungry horse" to have lunch at the "Huckleberry patch"

PS. huckleberries are not blueberries, if you say they even look alike the locals take offense.

Grinnel Glacier Overlook

13.2 miles on the trail today
4550 feet in elevation gain

The hike I did today was probably the hardest I have ever done mentally and physicaly.  ( mostly the final mile up the side up a very steep cliff face. Me and heights now really have an understanding of one another.)

The first four miles lead you to the 100 yr old granite chalet. They offer rooms for hikers to stay in and food for anyone hungry from the trail.( all of their supplies are brought in via pack mules.) The next mile or so brings you to the fork in the trail to start your trek up the side of a very steep mountain know as the "garden wall."  From there you have about 1.1 miles of the most strenuous climbing/ hiking I have ever come into contact with so far. About 3/4 of the way up on that portion of the trail it turns to just rock slab covered in water with the trail itself only being a foot wide, on the left side it has a big rock wall, and on the right is a straight down drop of 1,000 feet or so.

Once you reach the top, it is the most beautiful sight I have Ever had the honor of viewing,  no words can describe the feeling of concurring the mountain and then having the incredible view to take in.

I know this is said quite often,  but pictures will do this gem no justice.

Day 1 in G.N.P.

2754 total miles

44 miles on the day ( on the R.V.) the little car I believe was in the area of 115 miles.

No words that I write down to try to explain what I experienced today will fully capture the beauty that is Glacier National Park. We drove the full "going to the sun road." From west to east then back. Along the road we saw sights that take your breath away, I hiked up a valley to a spot where a glacier's melted water comes over a wall face in a 50 foot waterfall. ( and drink from it)I got to touch a glacier while big horned sheep stood 75 yards away. We saw a grizzly teen bear. And I got to spend a beautifuly perfect day with my grandparents.

Again pictures do this gem no justice what so ever.